Emission nebula · Orion
IC 434
Also known as: LBN 953
mag 11.090′ across
About
IC 434 is an emission nebula of magnitude 11.0 in Orion, about 90′ across.
How to find it
- IC 434 is in the constellation Orion.
- Best evenings: around late January it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 78° N.
- Orion’s Belt and Sword: A dark horse’s head against a faint glowing strip south of Alnitak; a large telescope, a dark sky and a filter.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)Not visible in binoculars.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)IC 434 is a faint glow south of Alnitak. The Horsehead in front of it needs an H-beta filter, a dark sky and usually a larger telescope; in photos it is easy.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | IC 434, LBN 953 |
|---|---|
| Type | Emission nebula |
| Magnitude | 11.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 90′ × 30′the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Constellation | Orion |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 05h 41m 00.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −02° 27′ 14″ |
Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →